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Southeast Asia Improves Power Supply with Renewable Energy Growth

Posted on : 14 May, 2009

 

“Despite the economic downturn and contracting power demand, GE Energy in Indochina still hopes to see business growth across the region thanks to the strong support of governments on renewable energy.

 

Kovit Kantapasara, GE Energy's country executive for Thailand and Indochina, said demand for renewable energy is growing strongly as countries in Indochina have all committed to developing renewable energy to cut their reliance on mainstream fuels.  He also commented renewable power projects such as biogas, biomass and wind power do not require much money for investment as most of them are small.

 

Last year GE Thailand recorded double-digit growth from its operation, thanks to orders from new IPP projects and biogas projects, he said.

 

Most power plants in Thailand still have inefficient fuel consumption at 40-50 percent on average. GE foresees the total power generation market in Thailand this year will be worth US$1.5 billion, with $1 billion from new small power producers and the rest from maintenance services.

 

Under Thailand's power development plan, starting from 2009, new small power generators would be built totalling 900 megawatts. GE sees this as its main target.

 

In Vietnam, where the economy has started to rebound, its government will likely upgrade

"Over the past several years, Vietnam suffered from frequent blackouts because of inadequate power supply, so we are quite confident that the government will not let it happen again," he said. "Power operators have to keep upgrading technology and equipment as it is the key to reducing fuel consumption, which is the major cost for operations," he said.

 

GE Energy, the world's leading energy and infrastructure technology supplier, said its products and services for sizable projects would also have growth, adding that aging generators in existing power plants need upgrades.

Source: Bangkok Post, 27 Feb 2009

 

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